Chain delivery paper feeding device

ABSTRACT

Gripper bar stabilizing means in a paper feeding device for use in an electrophotographic copying machine or the like where the feeding device includes a pair of endless belts or chains in parallel, spaced-apart relationship, at least one gripper bar connected between the belts, at least one gripper arm pivotally mounted on the gripper bar, means for normally biasing the gripper arm against the gripper bar, a pair of shafts including means disposed at the ends of each shaft for supporting the endless belts, means for rotating the shafts in a predetermined direction to impart movement to the belts; cam means disposed on at least one of the shafts for co-acting with the pivotally mounted gripper arm to withdraw the gripper arm from the gripper bar to thereby facilitate the transfer of paper from or to the feeding device and where the stabilizing means is attached to the one shaft and attracts the gripper bar to the stabilizing means while the cam means co-acts with the gripper arm to thereby prevent deflection of the gripper bar and thus maintain the gripper bar in a fixed position.

United States Patent [191 Ito [ 1 CHAIN DELIVERY PAPER FEEDIN DEVICE Haruhiro Ito, Iwatsuki, Japan Fuji Shashin Koki Kabushiki Kaisha, Saitama, Japan Filed: Dec. 2, 1971 Appl. No.: 204,080

[75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 12, 1970 Japan 45/123591 U.S. 'Cl ..271/204 Int. Cl B65h 29/04 Field of Search 271/79, 82, 85, DIG. 3, 75,

[111 "3,791,643 51 Feb. 12, 1974 Primary Exairrtiizr-Evon C. Blunk [5 7] ABSTRACT Gripper bar stabilizing means in a paper feeding device for use in an electrophotographic copying machine or the like where the feeding device includes a pair of endless belts or chains in parallel, spaced-apart relationship, at least one gripper bar connected between the belts, at least one gripper arm pivotally mounted on the gripper bar, means for normally biasing the gripper arm against the gripper bar, a pair of shafts including means disposed at the ends of each shaft for supporting the endless belts, means for rotating the shafts in a predetermined direction to impart movement to the belts; cam means disposed onat least one of the shafts for co-acting with the pivotally mounted gripper arm to withdraw the gripper arm from the gripper bar to thereby facilitate the transfer of paper from or to the feeding device and where the stabilizing means is attached to the one shaft and attracts the gripper bar to the stabilizing means while the cam means co-acts with the gripper arm to thereby prevent deflection of the gripper bar and thus maintain the gripper bar in a fixed position.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing F lgurcs PAIENTE FEB 1 2 I974 SHEET, 1 BF 2 FIG. I (PRIOR ART) 1 CHAIN DELIVERY PAPER FEEDING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to paper feeding and transporting device and, in particular, to means forstabilizing the gripper bar in a chain delivery paper feeding and transporting device of the type used in compact, electrophotographic copying machines and the like.

Typical paper feeding and transporting devices with which the present invention may be used are described in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,100,109 and 3,199,866. As brought out in detail in these patents and hereinafter the paper is grasped between a gripper bar and at least one gripper arm, which is pivotally mounted on the gripper arm and normally biased against the gripper barv At the time paper is fed to or from the paper feeding transporting device, a cam withdraws the gripper arm from the gripper bar. Each time the cam operates the gripper bar is also stressed and temporarily flexed. However, with repeated operations of the cam, the gripper bar quite often remains in its flexed position thereby affecting the paper feeding action. That is, with the gripper bar in its flexed position, the cam does not withdraw the gripper arm sufficiently away from the gripper bar whereby the paper often cannot be gripped or, if gripped, cannot be released so that winding of the paper about the paper feeding and transporting device occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide in a compact electrophotographic copying machine utilizing a chain delivery paper feeding and transporting device of the type described in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,100,109 or 3,199,866 means for minimizing failure of paper transfer to or from the paper feeding device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means of the above type for minimizing winding of paper about the paper feeding and transporting device.

Otehr objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the appended claims in conjunction with the following detailed description and the attached drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a schematic side view of a copying machine using a chain delivery paper feeding device in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a plain view of a chain delivery paper feeding device according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the device along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan view and partial perspective view, respectively, of a typical paper gripping device in accordance with the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the figures of the drawing, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring to the figures, there are illustrated two paper or sheet gripping mechanisms connected between two endless belts 12 supported between two sprocket shafts l4 driven by appropriate means generally indicated at 15 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each sheet gripping mechanism 10 includes a plurality of gripper arms 16 pivotally mounted on a gripper bar 18 about axis 20. Each gripper arm 16 is normally biased against gripper bar 18 by a spring 22 so as to grip the paper between the gripper bar 18 and the gripper arm 16. The gripper arm also includes a depending portion 24 which extends through opening 26 in gripper bar 18 when the gripper mechanism is closed. In operation, the gripper arm 16 is pushed away from gripper bar 18 by a shaft at a pre-determined position or by cams 28 provided on shafts 14 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) which engage depending portions 24 to withdraw the arms 16 from the bar 18 and thereby permit transfer of paper to or from-the paper feeding and transporting device.

It is desirable to lessen the space taken up by a product such as, for example, compact business copying machine; however, in the case of paper feeding and transporting devices of the type described above, the strength of the gripper bar 18 is a problem. The gripper bar 18 is most deformable where the gripper arm 16 is operated by cam 28, this being the place where the gripper bar is stressed by cam 28 and is flexed. If the flexing operation is repeated (as is normally the case), the flexure becomes fixed thereby affecting the paper feeding action in that the gripper arm 16 does not open sufficiently because of the flexure. Thus, the paper cannot be gripped with the result that the paper is quite often not fed nor is the paper completely released so that the winding of the paper frequently occurs.

This invention overcomes such problems by providing a paper feeding device having a gripper bar which does not deform when the gripper bar is stressed by cam 28 so that the sheet gripping mechanism 10 is always positively operated. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this feature is effected by stabilizing means or plural rotatable permanent magnets 30 mounted on cam shaft 14, and appropriately angularly positioned thereon so that the bar is drawn to the magnets when the gripper arm is operated by cam 28. Thus, when the sheet gripping mechanism 10 comes to the position where cam 28 pushes away arm 16 so that gripper bar 18 tends to deform, the gripper bar is attracted to and held in contact with the plural permanent magnets provided on cam shaft 14. Accordingly, the gripper bar does not deform.

Hence, the paper feeding device of this invention supports the plural permanent magnets 30 on the cam shaft 14 so that the deformation of the gripper bar 16 is prevented, and accordingly the gripper arm 16 is positively operated so that the paper is positively gripped or released thereby. Further, since the permanent magnets 30 are mounted on the rotatable cam shaft 14, unreasonable force is not applied to the points where the gripper bars are connected to the endless belts 12 during the time the bar is drawn to the magnets.

Numerous modifications of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing disclosure. During such a reading it will be evident that this invention provides unique stabilizing means in a paper feeding and transporting device for accomplishing the objects and advantages herein stated.

I claim:

1. In a paper feeding device for' use in an electrophotographic copying machine or the like where the feeding device includes a pair of endless belts or chains in parallel, spaced-apart relationship, at least one gripper bar connected between said belts, at least one gripper arm pivotally mounted on said gripper bar, means for normally biasing said gripper arm against said gripper bar, a pair of shafts including means disposed at the ends of each shaft for supporting said endless belts, means for rotating said shafts in a predetermined direction to impart movement to said belts, cam means disposed on at least one ofsaid shafts for co-acting with said pivotally mounted gripper arm to withdraw said gripper arm from said gripper bar to thereby facilitate the transfer of paper from or to said feeding device, the

improvement comprising:

stabilizing means attached to said one shaft for attracting said gripper bar to said stabilizing means while said cam means co-acts with said gripper arm to thereby prevent deflection of said gripper bar and thus maintain said gripper bar in a fixed position, said stabilizing means including a magnet mounted on said one shaft so as to rotate therewith.

tion between said belts and said gripper bar. 

1. In a paper feeding device for use in an electrophotographic copying machine or the like where the feeding device includes a pair of endless belts or chains in parallel, spaced-apart reLationship, at least one gripper bar connected between said belts, at least one gripper arm pivotally mounted on said gripper bar, means for normally biasing said gripper arm against said gripper bar, a pair of shafts including means disposed at the ends of each shaft for supporting said endless belts, means for rotating said shafts in a predetermined direction to impart movement to said belts, cam means disposed on at least one of said shafts for co-acting with said pivotally mounted gripper arm to withdraw said gripper arm from said gripper bar to thereby facilitate the transfer of paper from or to said feeding device, the improvement comprising: stabilizing means attached to said one shaft for attracting said gripper bar to said stabilizing means while said cam means coacts with said gripper arm to thereby prevent deflection of said gripper bar and thus maintain said gripper bar in a fixed position, said stabilizing means including a magnet mounted on said one shaft so as to rotate therewith.
 2. The improvement as in claim 1 where the magnitude of the attractive force of said magnet for said gripper bar is substantially less than the strength of connection between said belts and said gripper bar. 